ARTISTS TALKING

# 7 [4 July 2010]

Second Skin, this time in collaboration with Foundation Students

On Tuesday Nadja went to Wensum Lodge in Norwich to run a workshop and performance with the Foundation Art, Design and Media Students. We showed them how to create sculptures from our emergency blankets and then let them run with it. Some fascinating results came out of it.

My personal favourite was when one student grabbed some paper and made cone-shaped breasts to attach to the sculpture. It seems that this is a theme that comes up again and again in this work: How can I augment my breasts?

We also had some fantastic installations of the resulting pieces, one shoved in a basement among rubble, one split into legs and torso with space in between, and one in the toilets.

I think Second Skin can continue to expand in this way, evolving to become a work that collaborates with a large number of people. 

Any takers out there?

# 6 [26 April 2010]

Second Skin at the SCVA

Well it was a successful evening at the Sainsbury Centre's Late Shift last Wednesday night where Nadja debuted a project titled 'Second Skin.'

We invited guests to participate as models to create an interactive artistic display in the cloakroom and stairwell. We wrapped volunteers in reflective fabric and tape to create hollow figurative sculptures. These sculptures considered the individual identity of the participants to explore themes of vulnerability and body consciousness. The reflective materials acted as a protective second skin, reflecting and deflecting its surroundings.

I was very surprised at the number of visitors who were keen to be wrapped. In the end we could not wrap everyone who asked to participate. I did notice that many more men were interested than women.

What I found most interesting about the sculptures was that they did indeed have an individual spirit that showed a connection to their models. Sometimes it was a certain shape of the back, or a tilt of the arm, but I could see life in these pieces at the end of the night.

A fascinating moment was when we had a model request that we improve upon a certain part of her body that she thought was "lacking." I'll give you two guesses as to which part.

I think we should continue this project in the future, and perhaps advertise an alteration as a part of the wrapping service. Of course, this would only be if they want to change something about themselves. I wonder if the same body parts would keep coming up again and again?

# 5 [18 April 2010]

This Wednesday night Nadja artists will be at The Late Shift, at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, from 6-9. 

We are trying out a new interactive installation, a collaborative work that we will make together over the evening. We will be wrapping volunteers in reflective fabric and tape to create figurative sculptures which will then be displayed in and around the cloakroom. The sculptures will consider the individual identity of the participants to explore themes of vulnerability and body consciousness. The reflective materials act as a protective second skin, reflecting and deflecting its surroundings. 

If you live in Norwich come out and participate in this event! 

# 4 [12 April 2010]

An unsettling dream of creating art from life...

I awoke a few weeks ago from a vivid dream involving the creation of a sculptural installation. When I dream about making art (which happens only rarely) I pay attention- writing the details down right away, and mulling over the ideas behind the work I create in a fantasy realm. I am usually driven by a need to create it when I wake, but am often unable to follow through due to practical concerns.

In this particular dream, I was on a sunny street, with someone that I have known at my job for the last three years. This person has anorexia, and I feel very protective towards her and really hope that she will eventually recover. She is very concerned with pleasing others, always saying yes, and although she has many talents and is an excellent writer, she undervalues her abilities to the point of wanting to hide them away from others.

I turned to her, and even in my dream self, I was uncertain that we should proceed.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"Of course, yes yes." She replied.

I then lined her up against a store window, which was very large, and stretched right from the pavement all the way over our heads to the roof. I had her stand with her back against it and drew her outline in a black marker. I did this four times, on four different windows. I took out a measuring tape, and with her watching silently, I measured an equal half inch inside the first one, and drew a new, smaller outline. I then measured each one, getting smaller and smaller, until the fourth one was 2 inches smaller than her actual outline. 

Then I took a bucket of newspaper scraps, with random words of text on them, and mixed up a paste with glue. I then spread it inside the outlines on the windows, to dry as a lumpy mixture of words.

In the background of the window I pictured a colourful and bright cityscape, something that would be a shocking contrast to the newspaper mache figures.

The progression from largest to smallest, in my dream self's imagination, could easily be reversed by walking the opposite direction on the street. However, it seemed paramount to make sure that none of the figures was the actual size of my model. The text was also essential, a mixture of the words of others, all jumbled up and forming an inner core.

I am thinking a great deal about this dream these days.

# 3 [22 February 2010]

The Culture of Shame/It's time to stop making excuses for being human, Part 2:

I recently bought a Trinny and Susannah book to see if they actually do help people find clothes that work for them. The idea is really powerful (see rule 5), and no doubt contributes to their success. In telling people what clothing they should buy, they attempt to introduce cold, hard reality into self-perception. This translates into using peer pressure, insults, and categorisation to force people to feel ashamed by the status quo. For Trinny and Susannah, shame is a motivational tool. They scold you for not taking the time to iron your shirts or buff your shoes, and tell you that it isn't just you, but a whole group of frumpy, old, boring women who do the same thing. You don't want to be a part of them, do you? You want to feel good, don't you? So- put in all the effort we tell you and you'll feel great. What they completely ignore in their message is self-acceptance. They also make no allowances for individuality.

Whatever happened to the notion of self-acceptance? I don't mean learning to live with yourself. I mean truly accepting who you are, with flaws intact. That you are not perfect, you can't do everything at once and fulfil everyone else's expectations. That you do what you can in your life, and being human is normal. By self-acceptance, I mean feeling proud of what you've accomplished instead of always bemoaning your failures.

So I am sending out a call to all shoppers everywhere- do not participate in the culture of shame! If you go shopping with your mum or your best friend, tell them you will only accompany them if they promise to not tear themselves down, and that you won't participate in the role of the companion. It is tiring and pointless to spend time trying to convince someone that they look good. You are only responsible for your own self-perception, not someone else's too.

It's time to stop making excuses for being human. 

-The end-

My artwork often responds to my experiences as a salesperson and as an eating disorders support worker. However this is based on very specific, individualised experience. What do the women out there reading this think of the article? Am I making too many generalizations? Should I stick to self-portraiture like the Fitting Room series (see attached images)? Does this article ring true for you?

See more from the fitting room series on my website at www.dianearcher.co.uk

Thanks for reading.

# 2 [22 February 2010]

I recently wrote the following for a women's e-zine, check it out:

The Culture of Shame/It's time to stop making excuses for being human

As an artist and a keen observer of human behaviour, I have something I would like to share with the world about the culture of women's clothes shopping.

I have worked for years as a sales assistant- you know, one of those on commission types that hangs around outside the changing room asking how you like it and offering an unsolicited opinion. More recently, I have also been working at an eating disorder charity. Sometimes I have a hard time reconciling myself to all the conflicting roles in my day-to-day life and so I feel a great need to share my observations.

Changing rooms are a focal point of self-perception for most women.

There are a whole set of unwritten rules that women generally follow when trying on clothes. These are cultural expectations, passed down through the generations until the patterns are firmly established. Roles are set, and are interchangeable amongst individuals. One person tries things on (the try-ee), and the other (the companion) hovers and comments. Even though I am now keenly aware of these behavioural patterns, I find it very difficult to stop following these same conventions when I shop myself. 

Here is my list of observed rules thus far:

1. The one shouldn't shop alone rule. Shopping is something to do with mothers and daughters, sisters and husbands, or best friends. It is a "fun" activity to do together.

2. The one shouldn't appear vain when trying clothes on rule. In fact, drawing attention to all your flaws is essential in appearing humble to those with you. Example: "Look at my fat arms, this sleeveless jumper isn't a good idea" or "I can't wear dresses, I'll look like a man in drag."

3. The pretend not to like anything too much rule. Being uncertain is the watchword of all good shoppers. If you don't commit, you'll never look stupid, right?

4. The tell everyone else what they think of you rule. One needs to pre-empt the worst news by attempting to guess what one's shopping companion thinks of you. Example: "Don't you think I look like a great white rhino in these trousers?"

5. The "You'll know it when you see it" rule. Somewhere out there, there is a garment that has the power to transform me into a beautiful person and hide all my flaws. It exists. I know it does. I just have no idea what it would look like.

The entire structure of shopping is set up in such a way that the try-ee is prevented from deciding things for themselves. There are always other people ready to jump in with their opinions, including myself as a sales assistant. Even if you don't ask, it is given as a part of the routine experience. 

Sometimes a shopper takes the plunge and decides to buy something on their own, without any companion present. Unfortunately, more often than not they get home and their husband/sister/daughter hates it, and it comes back to me the next day as a return. Every time they see themselves in the mirror wearing it from that point forward, all they can see is someone else's negative perception.

You have to have a pretty strong sense of self-worth to come out of a shopping trip unscathed.

For the rest of the article please check the next post!

# 1 [22 January 2010]

I took these photos on a camping holiday in March 2009 and I haven't looked at them since then. I want to share them here because I don't see them belonging anywhere in the "art" world, and yet I feel somewhat attached to the imagery. I was very much inside my own head when I took these- my body was cold, my hands and back were stiff, and I was alone. I was hanging out in the bathroom because I wanted to stay warm. I've always been both attracted and repelled by my own image in mirrors. All of a sudden, the placement of the mirrors and the set up in the room caught my attention. I grabbed my camera and began recording the moment.

I've loosely labelled the series "Disjointed" because when I look at them I see my body in sections, as parts that I carry around with me and am not very comfortable in. I wanted to record the feeling of being inside my body in a way that would allow the viewer to feel what I was feeling in my own skin. I'm not sure this was successful.

I'm really a black and white traditional film kind of artist (for other examples of my work see www.dianearcher.co.uk), but lately I have been relying on a small digital camera that I keep on me at all times. I see colour film as a yellowed gritty reproduction of life- unlike the nostalgic affect of black and white. I have corrected the yellowness before with Photoshop but somehow I've never liked the change. It feels like I'm removing something essential that says- "hey, I'm a photo that was snapped in this moment and instead of leaving it be I am making it polished and perfect for show in a white-walled gallery." But that's just me being difficult.

In the struggle to get shows and develop an artistic career, it's sometimes hard to figure out what the best way forward is. Hopefully this b-log will help Nadja on its path to the future.